Jami Eason - International Fitness Model
Interviewed by Amjad Vanimal
Jamie Eason, obviously, is a lot more than a fitness model. She is one of the most captivating models within the fitness industry.
Her intelligence, professionalism and determination are blatantly apparent. The stunning projects she did with many photographers would certainly show Jamie has been blessed with the talent to go far right from the beginning.
It’s her brutal hard work and dazzling dedication that makes her rise to the top all the more spectacular.
Excerpts:
Hi Jamie, Thanks for being here with Physique. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Thank you for having me! I am a fulltime spokes model for bodybuilding.com as well as a writer and print model. I have been involved in the fitness industry for almost 4 years and hope to continue to be a part of it for a long time to come.
I noticed that you don’t have a big competitive history in your career, still you have such a remarkable popularity as a fitness model. How do you feel about it?
I feel very fortunate to have been so well received by the public and the industry leaders. I learned very quickly where my strengths and weaknesses were and shifted focus to more of a modeling role fairly early on.
What type of training do you typically do?
These days I am lucky if I can make it to the gym at least 4 or five days a week. In the past I would work a different muscle group every single day with just one day off. Right now I am doing a lot of circuit training. I either work a few muscle groups together and incorporate active rests (ex. Chest & shoulders with jump rope, back & arms with mountain climbers, legs with crunches) or I alternate days of upper body and lower body workouts.
What’s your basic nutrition plan?
I typically eat 5 or 6 times a day, about every 3 hours, depending on when I wake up.
6 AM: 5 egg whites and veggies with 1/3 cup of oatmeal or ½ cup fat free cottage cheese with cinnamon and Splenda.
9 AM: 3 hard boiled eggs with yolks removed and replaced with canned tuna or chicken (mixed with mustard, celery and seasoning) and 11 natural almonds.
12 PM: Pei Wei Asian Diner – Ginger broccoli with steamed chicken and brown rice (I ask for no sauce and instead use white vinegar and eat only a ½ cup of brown rice).
3 PM: 5 oz grilled chicken, a 4 oz sweet potato and 1 cup steamed green beans.
6 PM: (this meal usually falls right after a workout), so I pack a small apple and 2 chicken or turkey meatloaf muffins with one piece of Ezekiel pita bread.
9 PM: 4 oz chicken and veggie stir-fry or 5 egg whites and veggies, 1 Toffuti Pop.
Photo : Mike Byerly
I understand that you are a Computer Software Consultant too..
When I first started out in the fitness industry I was still training new hires to use propriety software in the home building industry as well as consulting on various video games. As luck would have it, I have been fortunate enough to leave those careers behind and focus only on the fitness.
How did you get your first break into modeling industry?
It was at a competition in Austin, Texas that I was first discovered. A natural bodybuilding magazine was there to cover the show and they took my picture and my information to contact me later. I never expected to hear from them but shortly after they called me to set up training shoot with a local photographer. I had no experience as a fitness model, so I took a leap of faith and just pretended that I wasn’t nervous and knew what I was doing. Apparently that worked because the shoot went well and a few months later I was featured in a magazine.
I have read somewhere that you played Soccer and Softball all through adolescence, you have danced since the age of two and in college you were on a co-ed dance team and played intramural sports. What motivated you to enter into fitness industry?
I never really had a serious interest in the bodybuilding world, although I had always admired an athletic physique and was a fan of Monica Brant’s look. However, I never imagined that lifestyle for myself because I didn’t believe I could attain that sort of fitness level. It took a scare with breast cancer (which was fortunately caught early) to shift my focus from complacent living to an active and healthy lifestyle. I sought the advice of a nutritionist who convinced me that I had the genetics for bodybuilding. He helped me create a plan and I hired a trainer to learn proper technique and 6 - 8 short months later my body had made a huge transformation.
Who is the one person that has influenced you the most?
I would have to credit my nutritionist, Keith Klein, for influencing me the most. He is not only a great nutritionist but an incredible motivator and brilliant business man. I learned so much from him and will forever be grateful for his guidance.
How do you motivate yourself to stay in shape?
At this point my motivation is to simply think about all of the people who have to face the daily grind of the 9 to 5 job and feel blessed that I am no longer in that position. My job at this point is to work out and eat right, so if I cannot manage to do that, I would be pretty pitiful. I have truly been blessed and I try to take advantage of that every single day.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Aside from landing the covers of various magazines, I would have to say that winning a 70K custom Flex Wheeler chopper in 2006 in the Hard body Entertainment Model Search at the Olympia, was pretty mind blowing. However, on a personal level, one of my biggest highlights has been the influence that I now seem to have over people to really want to take control of their health, most namely my own family. Even my mom and dad have transformed their bodies and look ten years younger. I am very proud of them!
How is training for a competition been different from you training for modeling?
I have so much respect for competitors because the training is much more daunting and extensive for competition than it is for modeling. The magazines that I usually shoot for tend to seek a more mainstream audience. Therefore, they do not usually require the degree of leanness and muscle tone for a female that one would need for competition. An advantage to a competition physique is that there is typically an “off-season” to promote more muscle growth, yet the training can be brutal. Although a model physique might not have such a grueling training schedule, the requirement to maintain a lean physique year round can be tiresome.
What do you find the most entertaining and challenging about working as a fitness Model?
The most entertaining part about being a fitness model is the excitement of travel and reinventing your look for various assignments. The most challenging part about being a fitness model is also the traveling because it is really difficult to maintain the proper training and nutrition needed to be successful. I am always struggling to find a balance.
What’s the biggest lesson you have learned over the years when it comes to modeling?
The biggest lesson I have learned is that even the most beautiful men and women have insecurities. No one is perfect and beauty is subjective. Just like music and food are a preference, so is beauty and what predicates a “fit” body. Everyone will always have an opinion.
How do you see the state of women’s bodybuilding today?
Unfortunately, I believe that women’s bodybuilding is somewhat in a state of decline. With the introduction of “figure” several years ago, female bodybuilders have become an anomaly instead of the norm. Comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges; however, judges seem to blur the lines. Sometimes they want a more feminine appearance and sometimes they want the biggest and leanest physique possible. Both categories could use more stringent guidelines. On the bright side for female bodybuilding, with fewer and fewer competitors, it can really be an opportunity for someone special to shine.
If you were not into fitness industry where would you be right now?
If I were not in the fitness industry, I would likely work in the fashion/entertainment industry or really focus on developing my skills as a writer. I have always enjoyed books and admired the skills of accomplished writers.
How do you spend your leisure time?
I am a major homebody. I love taking up new projects around the house and just “nesting” in general. I also love reading, cooking, traveling and spending time at the lake.
Can you share with us some of your unforgettable experience in your life?
Some of the most amazing experiences in my life have been graduating college, buying my first home, being an NFL cheerleader, winning a custom chopper, getting a major endorsement and landing my first national magazine cover.
Can you tell me something about you that nobody knows so far?
No one but the people really close to me knows that I love to sing, especially in the car.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get into fitness industry?
I would say to take a grass roots approach and really get out there and meet the people in the industry. There has been a surge of interest in fitness modeling and in order for companies to really gain an interest in you and remember you, you need to stand apart. There are tons of fantastic looking people all vying for the same positions. Let them see your personality and convince them that not only are you a great model for their product, but an excellent spokes model as well.
Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
I have three shameless requests for self promotion. Please visit my sponsor at . There is tons of great free information there as well as a function similar to myspace, called “bodyspace”, yet it focuses on training and nutrition. Also, my boyfriend’s band, Rev Theory ( ), just released their album this past June, called “Light It Up”. They are with Interscope Records and have been climbing the charts consistently. I am really proud of them and think their music is perfect for the bodybuilding crowd. They have high energy feel good music to push you through your workouts, so please check it out. And, finally, please come visit me on my myspace page at . Thank you to everyone for their continued support and encouragement!
Name : Jamie Eason
Height : 5’2”
Weight : 110 lbs
Current location : Texas
Family : I have a wonderful mother and step-father, as well as a fraternal brother and step-sister.
Hobbies : Weight training, cooking, reading, travel and spending time at the lake.
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